Wanted
by Nightingale0708
Summary: Ezra has been captured by the Empire. The crew didn't even know he left. When they get word, they frantically tear up Lothal to find their youngest crew member. Meanwhile, Ezra is being tortured. After a torture session, a DNA test is being run. When Darth Vader hears of the results, his rage is unmatched. Watch out, Palpatine! Vader found his lost son! Rated M cuz I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1- Captured

Chapter 1: Captured

Okay, let me get some of the facts straight. Luke Skywalker as an infant, instead of being sent to Tatooine, was sent to an equally remote planet called Lothal. Jedi Master Yoda had thought it would be to obvious to hide Vader's son on the planet where Vader grew up. His hair was changed, along with his name. His eyes remained the same. He was sent to live with Mira and Ephraim Bridger and was raised as their own. That is until they were captured by the Empire when he was 8. Young Luke was forced to live on the streets of Lothal under a different name: Ezra Bridger. He finds friends and family with a rebel cell called the Ghost Crew. He is trained to be a Jedi, since he is extremely strong with the Force. And this is where our story starts...

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Okay, on with the story.

* * *

The Ghost was quiet. The crew were parked on Lothal, in one of their usual plains. Sabine was cleaning her various weapons in the solitary of her room. Zeb was in the kitchen, eating. Hera was in the cockpit with Chopper, repairing damages and retuning some stuff. Kanan was meditating in his room. Ezra...well, Ezra was bored. He had cleaned his lightsaber, he had cleaned the engines, he had tried to paint with Sabine. That last one hadn't ended well because he had started coughing with an overload of paint fumes and had to leave. Sabine and Zeb would never stop teasing him for that... He had tried helping Hera but after he short-circuited the hyperdrive because Chopper had pushed him, she had kicked him out, trying to avoid further casualties. He could've fixed it if that useless bucket of bolts Chopper hadn't pushed him. He'd always been pretty good with machinery. He'd even had a job on the outskirts of the city as a mechanic, until the manager had figured out that he was that Ezra Bridger. Up until that point, life was looking up for Ezra Bridger.

But life was looking up again. The Ghost crew was his family. Sabine was a bigger sister, Zeb an older brother, Kanan like a father, Hera like a mother, even Chopper was like that annoying little brother that you just couldn't seem to get rid of. But Ezra was bored. One negative trumps a dozen positives. Case in point, Ezra's boring life. They hadn't had a mission in a week. They were given this week off to restock, refuel, and relax. But they had refueled on the first day, restocked on the second. Now, there was nothing to do but relax. And Ezra was sick of it. He could never stay in one place for to long, he was always too full of energy. Earlier, he had really wanted to go to town but he had quickly ruled it out. He didn't want to be stuck on 'fresher duty again. He could already imagine Kanan scolding 'Ezra...' Zeb would be gloating and Sabine would be hiding that secret smirk of hers. Meanwhile, he would be scrubbing away at the 'fresher, vaporators and the engines. Yup,he would definitely be sore the next morning. But that was only if they found out...

Ezra jumped off the bed and grabbed his backpack. He filled it with a couple bombs of Sabine's making, a few droid arms, and a few cartridges of ammo for his blaster. He slipped his comm onto his left wrist and his blaster into its holster on his right hip. Lastly, he picked up his lightsaber and put it on his belt. He had changed the design. It was no longer a blaster-saber hybrid. It was a silver hilt with black accents. The grip was black as well. He'd had an opportunity to change the saber's color to green but he had chosen to leave it blue. For some reason, it gave him a feeling of nostalgia, almost like he'd seen someone that wasn't Kanan with a blue blade similar to his. Suddenly, Ezra felt lightheaded. He knew what was coming: a Force vision. He fell to his knees with the sheer intensity of the vision. His saw black and the vision began.

^^OOo(Start Force Vision)oOO^^

Ezra saw a man. A man with curly dark blonde hair that went down to his shoulders. He had a scar on his right eyebrow, framing eyes that were the same exact shade of bright blue as Ezra's. The man was good looking...and was fighting with an arctic blue lightsaber, the same shade as Ezra's. He was a Jedi. Both of his hands was covered with black gloves but you could see that his right hand was mechanical. Ezra saw it clearly and yet this man fought with the cybernetic hand as though it were his own. He had on the traditional garb of a Jedi, except his were darker shades of black instead of the traditional tan and brown. The man's lightsaber hilt looked very much like Ezra's. Curious... The man was fighting a bunch of...droids? Yup, they were definitely droids. B1 battle droids to be exact. Even though B1s were easy to take down, they had strength in numbers. Ezra had to admire the man's fighting style. It was fierce and aggressive, just the way Ezra always wanted to fight. Ezra didn't blame him but Kanan had only barely started learning the defensive lightsaber forms when Order 66 was put into place. Consequently, Ezra only knew what Kanan knew and Kanan knew very little. At the man's side was another man with sky blue eyes and redish-blonde hair. The second man was also fighting with a blue lightsaber. Suddenly, the second man tensed as if he sensed something. His eyes widened.

"Anakin! Get down!" he yelled. The first man ducked quickly as a missile shot over both of their heads. The first man-Anakin- looked to the second man with a sly smile.

"So I see you've been practicing, Master." he said playfully.

"I've had a lot of practice saving your life, Anakin, if that's what you mean." The second man said, him and Anakin working just as hard as the other to repel the ever increasing number of blaster bolts shot their way.

"Saving my life? I'm sorry, Master, but you seem to be under the impression that I'm constantly overwhelmed in battle." Anakin said.

"Maybe I shouldn't bring up Geonosis, then."

"That wasn't my fault. You're the one that got yourself caught in the first place. If you hadn't gotten caught, Padme and I wouldn't have needed to travel to save you!"

"First of all, you and Padme got caught only shortly after me. Second, I freed myself all on my own."

"All on you own, huh? Well, seeing as we're never going to reach a consensus, I suggest that a competition is in order."

"A competition? I'm in!" a female voice laughed. Suddenly a familiar looking Togruta somersaulted over the two Jedis' heads. She had two light sabers held in reverse grip. One was green and the other a yellow-green. She moved her hands around her body gracefully, successfully repelling another wave of blaster bolts. Wait a minute...was that Ahsoka?! Kriff, it was! Sure, a younger version, but still Ahsoka. Ahsoka and Anakin worked side by side with the man, successfully defeating all the B1s.

"So, what did you get, Anakin?" the man asked.

"What did you get, Ahsoka?" Anakin deflected.

"I want to hear what Master Obi-Wan got." Ahsoka said. The man-Obi-Wan- sighed and looked up to the sky.

"I can never win with you two. I got 73." Obi-Wan said, defeated.

"Well, that's not fair. I got here later!" Ahsoka said, waving her arms in the air. "I got 56." she said, crossing her arms with a huff. Obi-Wan looked to Anakin, who seemed incredibly interested in his comm unit at the moment.

"Anakin..." Obi-Wan started.

"Okay, all right! I'll tell you!"Anakin said, throwing his hands in the air with a smile on his face. "I got 87." he said smugly.

"That's it!" Ahsoka said, throwing her hands up in the air. She turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. "I'll meet you guys back at the Temple!" she climbed into a waiting hovercraft and... wait, were those Republic Attack Gunships? Yeah, yeah they were! Ezra had salvaged a few parts from some of these from his days as a mechanic. Those were only used in the Clone Wars...which means that this was a vision of the past, not the future as Ezra thought. Come to think of it... B1's, the Gunships and the Jedi were pretty much only used in the Clone Wars. And Ezra was sure he'd seen Obi-Wan before. Wait... Obi-Wan as in the Obi-Wan?! Obi-Wan Kenobi? Holy kriff, it was him. The man in Kanan's Jedi Holocron. He looked younger here than in the holocron. Ezra couldn't believe it.

Obi-Wan climbed onto Ahsoka's gunship and waved to the pilot. The pilot nodded his head in return, his white helmet glinting with the light of the... wait, white helmet? Stormtroopers? Jedi and stormtroopers working together? Now Ezra has seen everything... Wait, these guys must be like Rex. Clone troopers, that's what they were. They meant no harm, other than Order 66 and Vader but that was later. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan's gunship left, leaving Anakin standing in the rubble of the droids he'd slaughtered. He directed several clone squadrons to several places that meant absolutely nothing to Ezra. Once he was alone, he raised his wrist and pressed a few buttons on his comm. A female voice filtered out of it.

"Anakin? What's wrong? Are you alright?" the voice sounded concerned. A smile lit Anakin's face.

"Nothing, Padme. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to hear your voice." Anakin said tenderly.

"Oh, you had me worried that something happened." the voice-Padme- sounded relieved.

"No nothing. I was just missing you." Anakin said softly. It sounded to Ezra as if Anakin was in love with Padme. But love was forbidden to Jedi, no? Well, Kanan had a thing for Hera, that's for sure. And it seems like Anakin had a thing for Padme. Well, attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which is what Ezra would find as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life. 'So,' Ezra thought 'you might say...that we're encouraged to love.' Well, that made a lot of sense. So Kanan could be with Hera, Anakin could be with Padme, and Ezra could be with whomever he chose. To be truthful, Ezra wasn't really that into Sabine anymore. Sure, she was tough and fierce but she was like an older sister to him. They were close and he didn't want to end their friendship because of a stupid teenage crush.

"Wow. The great Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker has to hear his wife's voice after he slaughters a couple hundred battle droids, to make sure she's safe. How sweet." You could hear the playfulness in her voice. She was teasing her husband.

"Listen here, Senator Amidala."Anakin said, a smile on his face. "You know you've missed me. I'm the highlight of your otherwise dreary life as a politician."

"First of all, the life of a politician is very exciting, thank you very much. Second, you've been gone so long. How could I not miss you?" Padme's voice trailed off at the end of her statement. It was clear that she missed her husband. Anakin's expression softened.

"I'll be home soon, Padme. I promise." he said.

"I'll hold you to that, Ani. Stay safe."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you, too, Ani."

^^OOo(End Force Vision)oOO^^

Ezra was pulled out of the vision abruptly. He slowly picked himself off of the floor. His backpack had fallen next to him. He shook his head to clear it. He really needed to clear his head. It was as if a layer of fog was covering him. That's it, he really needed to walk around town. To clear his head, if nothing else. He picked up his backpack. Ezra cautiously walked to his door and opened it. He peeked out. Empty. Perfect. Everyone was still where he left them. Ezra ran quietly to the ladder. He slid down it quietly and landed without a sound. The ramp opened with a push of a button and Ezra was free.

Lothal's city was busy with traders this time of day. Ezra had pickpocketed about 3 people already for a total of 120 credits. That's enough for 5 jogans and 2 meilooruns with money left over. Cool. Kanan was sure to give him a hard time about slipping back into his old ways if he found out...He was heading to his favorite fruit stand when he heard a commotion. He turned around. Stormtroopers were picking on a merchant, saying he hadn't paid his taxes. The stormtroopers arrested the merchant. A lieutenant walked up.

"Take the insurgent spy to our disciplinary camp. He will learn the price of defying the Empire." The merchant was dragged away. Ezra saw red. Merchants were just trying to make a living, they had done nothing wrong. The stormtroopers, on the other hand, were a different story...

Ezra took his blaster out of its holster. Time to be chaotic.

"Hey, bucket heads." he said. All of the stormtroopers in the vicinity turned around. "If you're so hungry," he started, motioning to all of the fruit that had fallen out of the merchant's stand. "Chew on this!" He started firing from his blaster rapidly, taking down a trooper with every shot he fired. He was so in the game, he didn't notice the stormtrooper on the roof across from him. He didn't see the trooper take out a sniper. He didn't see the dart filled with sedative heading his way. The dart slid into Ezra's neck. Immediately, he began to feel sluggish.

"Cease fire!" One of the troopers, what looked like the captain, yelled. One of the bucketheads under his command went renegade. Ezra's reflexes weren't up to par. When the shot was fired at him, all he could do was try to jump out of the way.

He still wasn't fast enough. The shot hit his right shoulder, right under his collar bone. Pain licked at his arm like the fires of Mustafar. Karabast, his sword arm. If he didn't have any defense before, he sure as hell didn't now. He let out a rouge scream. A medic rushed his way. They were patching him up, but he didn't feel anything. Black spots danced in the edge of his vision. The last thing Ezra saw before another shot of sedative was in his neck was the trooper who fired the shot getting yelled at.

'Looks like I won't be the only one on 'fresher duty.'

That was Ezra's last thought before he blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2- Tempted

Chapter 2: Tempted

Last Chapter: Ezra was bored and decided to go into town. While getting ready, Ezra has a vision of Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka in battle, back when she was at the Temple and still a Jedi. After Ahsoka and Obi-Wan leave, Anakin makes a call to Padme, who is sad that Anakin has been gone for so long. When Ezra wakes up, he doesn't know how to think, so he goes into town, without telling anyone on the Ghost. While in a firefight with stormtroopers, Ezra is sedated and taken to Darth Vader's star destroyer, the Executor.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

^^OOo(With Kanan)oOO^^

Kanan was meditating. He was letting himself relax in the calming tendrils of the Force. Kanan was glad to finally have some alone time, though he supposed he should be training Ezra. The kid was really powerful, way more powerful than Kanan. In fact, he was probably just as powerful as Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. It was no secret why the Sith wanted him. They wanted to turn him to the Dark Side. Ezra had been in some run in's with the Dark Side already and Kanan was keen not to let that happen again.

Suddenly, he felt red hot anger from Ezra's side of the bond. Panicking, Kanan tried to make contact with his wayward apprentice, to no avail. Ezra felt satisfied for some strange reason. Then, there was pain. Pain so potent it made Kanan grab his own arm in a useless attempt to lessen the pain. Then ... nothing. Ezra was unconscious. That wasn't good.

Kanan got up, walking around a few times to get the feeling back in his legs. He opened the door and made a beeline for the cockpit, where he knew Hera was at. Hera was just closing up the control panel when Kanan burst in, probably looking like he just rolled out of bed. Hera turned to him, green eyes filled with concern.

"What's wrong, love?" she asked.

"Have you seen Ezra?" he responded a little to rudely.

"No, but he was in here trying to help me with the hyperdrive earlier."

"How long ago?" Kanan was frantically asking, looking for answers.

"I don't know, like 20 minutes? Why?" Hera was curious.

"He's in danger. I don't know how he got off the Ghost but I have a feeling he was just captured by the Empire." Hera gasped.

"The _Empire?"_ she asked, disbelieving.

"Yeah, unfortunately."

"Karabast." Hera muttered, leaving Kanan gaping at her in awe. Hera _never_ cussed, even when they were in an Imperial tangle. Ezra was in a lot of trouble when they got him out of this. Hera pressed a button on the panel.

 _"All Spectres, report to the cockpit for debriefing. We have a new mission."_ Her's voice echoed around the Ghost. A few seconds later, Sabine and Zeb burst into the room. The two looked around in confusion.

"Where's the kid?" Zeb asked.

"Ezra's been captured by the Empire." Kanan said. Sabine gasped.

"Karabast." Zeb muttered.

"That's what I said," Hera muttered under her breath. "We don't know where he's bring kept, so we have to keep an eye out. In the meantime, I'll contact Fulcrum, see if she knows anything."

"Got it." Sabine said.

"Sabine, Zeb, you're with me. We're gonna check the town, see if Ezra is being held in public. I doubt it, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure." Kanan said, seemingly grasping at any situation where his padawan is easy to find. But Ezra wasn't easy to find, even when he wasn't in the Empire's grasp.

"We'll be right behind you, boss." Zeb said, reassuring all of his crew.

They were going to find Ezra, together. They were not going to get separated again. Never again.

^^OOo(With Ezra)oOO^^

Ezra was barely waking up. He opened his eyes to stark white lights and immediately closed them again. His head was pounding and felt foggy. He became more aware as the side effects of the tranquilizer wore off. He seemed to be in a med-center. But it couldn't be a rebel med-center, it was too well stocked. Which left one option: he was with the Imperials.

"Kriff..." he muttered, his throat feeling, and sounding, like sandpaper. His tongue felt like cotton and he could barely form words. He opened his eyes again, only to find that he was strapped to a table. An IV was in his left arm and his right arm was bandaged. He tried to move his left arm and found it strapped to the table. He tried with his other arm and his legs, to no avail. The only thing he did accomplish was a sharp pain in his right arm, the arm that got shot. The pain cleared his head. Using the Force, he undid the strap tying down his left arm and his legs. Gingerly using his left arm, Ezra undid the strap on his right arm. He sat up, erecting a sharp shout from him as his arm jerked the wrong way. A Stormtrooper paroling outside walked in and put a hand to his helmet.

"Inform Agent Kallus that the Jedi is awake." he said and walked out of the med-center. Ezra was confused. _Kallus_ was the one who authorized to put him in the med-center? That made no sense. Ezra thought Kallus would rather throw him in a cell without bandaging him up than actually care enough to send him to the med-center. Maybe he was lulling him into a false sense of security? But for what? That didn't make any sense either. Ezra was pulled out of his musings when the door slid open to reveal Agent Kallus.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he gloated. "Jabba the Hutt strikes again." Ezra again saw red. Kallus was a hated enemy within the Ghost crew, especially with Ezra. Ever since Kallus had been willing to hold him captive even though he didn't know anything about the Lothal rebels, Ezra held little respect for the glorified lieutenant.

"Yeah, yeah, save your breath. When my uncle _the Emperor_ hears that you're holding me against my will-" Ezra started, only to be cut off as Kallus called his bluff.

"You're uncle is not the Emperor, Jabba, nor will he ever be." Kallus said savagely. Ezra flinched. There went his alibi. Kallus continued as if there had been no interruption.

"You may be wondering why you are being tended to, instead of being thrown in a cell at the first chance." he said. Ezra narrowed his eyes. What was he getting at?

"Well, one of my superiors wished to have a word with you before we began with the interrogation sessions." Ezra's eyes narrowed even further and then widened dramatically. Kallus smirked at the look on his face. The door swished open smoothly but Erza didn't need to look up to know who walked through it. He had sensed the dark presence the moment he woke up. It gave him a sense of nostalgia, much like the blue color of his lightsaber. It seemed dark and cold, but familiar somehow. But there was no way the Ezra Bridger was familiar with the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Heavy footsteps thudded on the metal floor. Mechanical breathing broke the silence. Ezra could feel cold golden eyes scrutinizing every inch of his being. Somehow, Ezra had attracted the attention of Darth Vader. Attracting the attention of Vader is something you _do not_ want to do if you valued your life. But, being a rebel Jedi, Ezra supposed it was inevitable.

Vader dismissed Kallus with a wave of his hand. Kallus looked slightly disconcerted at being dismissed but he followed orders nonetheless. _'Probably doesn't want to get his head smashed in.'_ Ezra thought. He slowly brought his eyes up to the Sith Lord's face, but they halted when they saw Vader's lightsaber. Vader's lightsaber looked like his. Actually, it looked a lot like Anakin's from Ezra's vision. So, Ezra's looked like Anakin's and Anakin's looked like Vader's. Small galaxy. Who knew?

Vader's hand strayed to said lightsaber, resting on it threateningly. Ezra forced his eyes to Vader's mask, the cold indifference chilling him down to the bone. Vader's breathed perpetrated the silence blanketing the room. Finally, Ezra spoke.

"So, how does this work? You talk first? I talk first?" Ezra's cheek usually earned him a slap upside the head from Hera and Kanan. Or a slap across the face from Imperials. But none of those happened. Instead, Vader spoke.

"Your reputation precedes you, Padawan." he said. Ezra was astonished. You could practically _hear_ the amusement in Vader's mechanical voice. Had...had he just been close to making Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, Emperor's Right Hand, the Empire's scourge, _laugh?_ Vader almost _laughed?_ Wow, the galaxy must be going crazy.

"Does it?" Ezra asked, trying to act surprised.

"Yes it does. Though...you could be more powerful." Here it goes. The 'join the dark side, we have cookies' slogan. "By my side, we could bring this galaxy to its knees. You could have unlimited power at your fingertips. The power to save the ones you love. The power to enslave those you hate. To make them suffer. To make them beg for mercy. For death." This brought Ezra to a halt. His electric blue eyes strayed to where Agent Kallus was standing outside the door.

"I'm listening." Ezra said, almost against his will. Sure, he didn't want to let down Kanan, but this could solve the Rebellion's problems, _forever._ Vader seemed pleased with his response.

"Yes. You harbor great hate against Agent Kallus. You could make him suffer for the pain he put you through. You could make his beg, make him _scream_ for mercy. Join me. Embrace the dark side and wipe out those who oppose you."

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow your roll. I never said anything about joining the dark side." Ezra said. True, he wanted the power to make Kallus suffer, but not at the expense of his soul. He also wasn't keen on joining the Empire that took his parents away when he was 8, forcing him to live on the streets. Alone. His only thoughts on survival and the next meal. Yeah, he was _definitely_ not joining the Empire, no matter how promising it may seem. This time, Vader seemed disappointed with his answer.

"A pity. You could've been a useful asset to our Empire. I suppose I'll just have to be patient." Vader said, turning towards the door, slowly walking away.

"Wait, what do you mean, _patient?"_ Ezra asked, defiance welling up inside of him. There was no was he'd fall. He wasn't weak. He was strong, stronger than the torture droids, stronger than Vader's mind probes. He wouldn't fall, dammit!

"You will see." Vader walked out of the room, leaving Ezra hesitant about the few next hours.

Kallus walked in, smirking. Ezra suddenly felt upset, regretting that he hadn't taken Vader's offer, if only to mercilessly pummel Kallus for a few hours.

"Come along, Jabba." he said, his voice grating on Ezra's nerves. A spark of gold ignited in Ezra's eyes, startling Kallus. Slightly paler than before, Kallus pushed a button on a remote he pulled out of his pocket. Something cold seeped into Ezra's left arm. Ezra immediately felt drowsy. Sedative. Ezra struggled to remain conscious, if only to punch Kallus in the face while he had the chance. He didn't have any success.

Ezra's head fell against the pillow and he fell into another restless, drug-induced sleep.

* * *

Yes, I did just do that. I kinda felt bad for Leia in Episode 4 when she got tortured by her own father, so I thought I'd turn the tables, see how strong Ezra is. Hopefully really strong, if his Skywalker blood has anything to say about it. And sorry for the delay but, Vader won't find out Ezra's identity until maybe 1-2 chapters later.

Next chapter: Ezra is introduced to the Imperial torture droids and has a one-on-one with Vader, who probes his mind and plagues him with visions of his crew dying. Ezra takes a few steps closer to the dark side, due to stress. Meanwhile, the Ghost crew still have no lead on where the Empire is keeping Ezra. Kanan can't sense him, so all they can do is sit tight and hope opportunity presents itself.

Special thanks to The Chuckinator, blackdepth, and luke payne for following my story. Also, thanks to The Chuckinator and BlackRoseDraco for favoriting my story.

Until next time! R&R! Reviews make me write faster... just FYI...

-Nightingale0708


	3. Chapter 3 Inquiry

Last Chapter: Kanan and the Ghost crew find out that Ezra is missing and send out a message to Fulcrum to see if she knows anything. Ezra wakes up to an Imperial med-center. Vader tries to seduce Ezra to the Dark Side, to no avail. Ezra was sorely tempted, he just didn't want to disappoint Kanan. Vader promises that Ezra will fall after a few weeks with the interrogation droids.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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^^OOo(With Kanan)oOO^^

Kanan was meditating, trying fruitlessly to find his Padawan. It wasn't like Ezra to disappear on his own like that, but it wasn't beneath him. He would sneak out if he needed to. He probably snuck out because he was bored. Well, that's Ezra for you. Can't stay still for his own good. Suddenly, Kanan felt Ezra. Kanan tried to grasp onto his apprentice's presence, to no avail. He could only feel his emotions. Ezra felt angry. Not that Kanan can blame him, he did just get captured by Imperials, after all. but this was something more. The raw anger, the blind rage, and the desire tokill? Okay, something was seriously wrong because that was not a good sign. But there was nothing that Kanan could do.

Kanan, Sabine, and Zeb had searched the entire city. There was no sign of Ezra. The only little sign they had found was a girl with hazel eyes, who Kanan thought seemed familiar, and a boy with a memorable sense of humor about Ezra's age, saying they had seen him captured. No one else had seen hair nor hide of his apprentice, not a backpack or a stray explosion, not even increased Imperial security were able to confirm their had contacted Fulcrum while they were gone. Ahsoka had seemed alarmed that Ezra had been captured but didn't have any information. Hera was cashing in all the favors she had, trying to find anything on Ezra. But there was nothing. So now it was up to Kanan. He had to find his apprentice before the Imperials turned him to the Dark Side. Kanan knew that Ezra was strong, but he also knew that the the torture droids from the Empire were strong. He knew because he had experience with those droids. And he didn't want Ezra to suffer how he had suffered.

^^OOo(With Ahsoka)oOO^^

Ahsoka slouched down in her chair, trying to compensate what Hera had just said. Ezra was captured by the Empire. She sighed. At times like these, she would normally turn to Master Obi-Wan Kenobi or Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, her former Master. But Anakin was gone now and she was ordered to have radio silence with Obi-Wan. Ahsoka supposed she was more affected than she should be with the capture of the powerful Ezra Bridger because he helped the rebellion so much and he was a valuable asset. Also, because he held sensitive information. It wasn't because Ezra reminded her of Anakin, with those electric blue eyes, his energy, his needed for battle. It wasn't because she had a bad feeling about this. No, it wasn't. It wasn't because the Force was churning around her anxiously. _'Kriff.'_ she thought.

Ahsoka pressed a button on her transmitter, opening a transmission. She hesitated before typing in a complicated set of channels, looking for one. A blue light came up on her screen. Obi-Wan's tracker. Ahsoka pressed another button and straightened in her chair. She had to make herself presentable for a Jedi Master, after all.

Obi-Wan Kenobi's image came up. He was looking at her with a concerned look on his face, dressed in his normal Jedi attire. Well, he did spend most of his time on Tatooine, so who could blame him? He looked older than she remembered. His hair had gotten white and his face had more lines than before. But he was still Obi-Wan, the best friend to her former Master. She smiled wanly at him.

"Hello, Master." she said, emotion welling up inside her. Obi-Wan was family...the only family she had left. Obi-Wan smiled brightly at her, no doubt surprised by her transmission.

"Ahsoka? Is that you, young one?" Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"Yes, it's me, Obi-Wan. Though I'm not so young anymore." she said, teasing her former mentor.

"Neither am I, young one." he said, chuckling lightly. An odd silence fell between them.

"So, you may be wondering why I called." she said.

"I am."

"Well, I just want to tell you that a powerful friend of mine was captured by the Empire. He's a member of the Ghost crew based out of Lothal and he's very attuned to the Force. I just wanted to tell you because I feel like the Force is trying to warn me about something, but I don't know what." she said. A startled look came on Obi-Wan's face, surprising Ahsoka. When Obi-Wan spoke, his voice sounded shaky.

"And what is your friend's name?" he said, seemingly regretting asking. Ahsoka hesitated before answering.

"Bridger. His name is Ezra Bridger." Obi-Wan visibly paled. Ahsoka stared at him, wondering what the reason was for his panic attack.

"Obi-Wan, what is it?" she asked impatiently. Obi-Wan looked at her, regret flashing through his eyes.

"Ahsoka, have you noticed anything familiar about Ezra? Anything at all?" Ahsoka was surprised at the seemingly meaningless question.

"Well, yeah, I guess. He reminds me a lot of Anakin." she said, too surprised to be emotional. She had been close to Anakin. He had been like an overprotective elder brother to her.

"Let me guess. The way he acts, his eyes, the way he goes into battle? Am I getting warmer?" he asked. Ahsoka was now openly showing her surprise.

"How could you know? You're on Tatooine!" she said, grasping at straws.

"True, I live on Tatooine but I often travel to Lothal to check on Ezra."

"Why would you want to check on Ezra?"

"Because he's the son of a powerful Jedi." Ahsoka thought for a moment. She frowned.

"There weren't any Jedi with the surname Bridger. What are you talking about, Obi-Wan?"

"That's because Bridger isn't his real name. He was adopted."

"Adopted from who?"she asked, already having a theory of her own. Obi-Wan sighed.

"Ahsoka...his real parents are Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. His real name is Luke. Luke Skywalker."

'Kriff...'

^^OOo(With Ezra)oOO^^

Ezra opened his eyes, looking around blearily. He was lying on a bed that was really only a slab of metal sticking out from the wall. And by the looks of the walls, he was in an Imperial cell...again. At least it wasn't as bright as the med-bay. That shit hurt. It was dark in Ezra's cell, with only the light coming from under the door. Until that bantha fodder Kallus opened the door.

Ezra sat up quickly, bringing a sharp pain to his arm. Using his good arm, he shielded his eyes. Kallus walked in and closed the door behind him, wearing that stupid smirk. The room was plunged in darkness again. Kallus spoke.

"So. Look how the mighty Jedi Apprentice has fallen. I must say, I believe that your precious master would be disappointed in the lack of fight you've put up, Jedi." Ezra's blood boiled at the mention of Kanan. Kallus didn't know anything about the Jedi or Kanan! He had no right whatsoever to talk about either of them as if he was so familiar with them! The spark of gold that Kallus was familiar with returned, turning Kallus's blood to ice. He'd only seen those eyes on the Emperor and the Sith Inquisitors. Come to think of it, Vader probably had those burning gold eyes as well. Kallus knew enough about the old religion to know what that meant. Those eyes were the trademark of the Dark Side... Well, good. That made his job easier.

Kallus stood to the side as the door opened behind him, flooding the room with light once more. Ezra growled low in his throat as he was blinded again.

"A little warning next time, Agent." He said, his voice positively dripping with sarcasm and coldness, also a trademark of the Dark Side. Kallus flinched. After this he was taking early retirement. He already had to answer to Lord Vader and Emperor Palpatine, along with the Inquisitors. He didn't need any more Darksiders disrupting his life.

Ezra got up and slowly walked over to where Kallus was standing. Kallus took out a pair of handcuffs and placed them on Ezra's wrists. He grabbed Ezra in the crook of his elbow and led him out into the hallway. About 5 stormtroopers were standing behind him. Outside, the lights were even brighter. Ezra shielded his eyes with his arm and hissed. Trying to use only one arm while in handcuffs doesn't really work well for you if you got shot in one arm recently, apparently. Kallus shoved him forward... in his bad shoulder.

Ezra shouted out loud in pain and the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. He turned and glared murderously at Kallus and the stormtroopers guarding him. Kallus paled. Ezra's eyes were completely gold, the same burning gold he'd seen on all of the Dark Siders. Kallus unconsciously took a step back. Suddenly, the temperature went back to normal and Ezra's gold eyes snapped back to electric blue. He shook his head, trying to clear it. He stumbled over to the wall, resting his forearms and forehead against its cool surface. His head was throbbing and he felt weak. His knees gave out from under him and he fell to the ground, shaking. Ezra blinked a few times to try and clear his vision, but it remained blurry. Kallus looked down at him in disgust, though he probably did look pretty pathetic. He was freezing but his brow was soaked in sweat. He didn't know what just happened, or maybe he did and he didn't want to admit it. He had vowed that he wouldn't fall prey to the seductive allure of the Dark Side, after all. Ezra closed his eyes and tried to focus. He entered a semi-meditative state, basking in the warmth of the Light Side of the Force. There was something different about it, though. Though he could still feel the warmth, the Light Side shied away from him. The space it left was cold and unforgiving. The Dark Side.

^^OOo(With Darth Vader)oOO^^

Vader was meditating in his quarters, though he couldn't really concentrate. He couldn't get his mind off the Bridger boy that Kallus had brought in earlier. The shade of his eyes had unnerved him. That was the exact shade Anakin Skywalker's had been. Always bright and full of energy. Only here, they were filled with defiance and hate. Raw anger. It was a wise choice to allow him to live. It would have been a waste of potential, potential that could be exploited by Vader and his Master. They seemed to be low on Inquisitors. The Grand Inquisitor had been killed in a fight with the Bridger boy and his Master, Kanan Jarrus. The Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister were missing in action on Malachor, where Vader and Sidious had sent them on an errand to retrieve a Sith Holocron. They were deployed 5 months ago. They were supposed to return in 2 months time. They were never heard from again. Sure, they had other Inquisitors-in-training, but their trials weren't complete. This boy already had battle experience so he was the perfect replacement for the Grand Inquisitor.

From reading the reports, it seemed like Bridger was already susceptible to the Dark Side, due to previous encounters. The first, and most memorable, time was when he harnessed the Dark Side to bend a large fyrnock to his will. All to save his precious master. Bridger has the same weaknesses that Anakin Skywalker had: family, loved ones, emotion. Bridger would do anything to save and protect those he cares about. That weakness will be exploited by the Sith. Bridger will be the perfect apprentice.

Even if Vader had to break apart his mind and put it back together, piece by piece.

Suddenly, a tremor in the Force sent Vader reeling. Cold. Unforgiving cold being siphoned from the Force and creating a hurricane around a certain Force sensitive teenager. _'Bridger.'_ Vader thought. There was no mistaking his Force signature, even if it was surrounded by darkness. Vader stood up and walked toward the door, opening with a flick of his wrist. He walked out the door, following Bridger's weakened Force signature. Vader was mildly impressed with the ease he handled the Dark Side.

Most people recoiled from it power, fearing it. The Jedi were only a fraction of those people. But Bridger, he seemed like a natural, wielding the Dark Side without even a flicker of hesitation, if his Force signature was anything to go by. Bridger was only feeling confusion and weakness. In fact, his Force signature was flickering in and out, to the point where Vader was mildly worried. Vader quickly squashed those feelings, those feelings that were rising unbidden. He didn't know why he was worried about this boy, this insurgent Jedi. He wasn't any different than the other Jedi he had killed or broken into the Dark Side. There was nothing different. Absolutely nothing.

Vader reached the corridor where Bridger was at in no time, due to his abnormally long strides. Bridger was kneeling against the wall, shaking. He was shivering, even though he had a thin sheet of sweat coating his face. His face was pale, his eyes unfocused. It was painfully obvious how much the binders on his wrists were paining him, his weight too much for his wrists while leaning against the wall. Droplets of scarlet blood were forcing themselves through the strain of the painful binders. There was a scarlet stain on his right shoulder. The boy had pulled his stitches. The stormtroopers that were supposed to be escorting the prisoners were lying unconscious, twitching on the floor. Kallus was also unconscious, though he looked worse than the stormtroopers. He was pale, his eyelids twitching. He was also murmuring in his fitful sleep.

Vader reached down and moved Bridger's wrists from the wall. Bridger groaned softly as Vader used the Force to remove the offending metal from the teenager's wrists. More blood leaked from his wrists, now unblocked by the metal. Vader frowned. Bridger was no good to him dead. Vader frowned. Since the boy was Force sensitive, his wounds should have started healing by now. But blood was still slowly oozing from the wounds, now revealed by the absence of the binders. Vader ripped a piece of the boy's uniform from his vest. Ripping it in half, Vader wrapped the pieces of fabric around Bridger's wrists and tied them securely. Vader picked up the boy, who was surprisingly light for a boy his age, and started walking to the med-bay.

Looking down in the boy's face, Vader couldn't help but notice the similarities between Bridger and Anakin Skywalker. Sure, Bridger's hair was so dark it was almost blue but that was a minor difference. Replace his midnight hair with dark blonde locks and Bridger would be a carbon copy of Anakin Skywalker.

Vader reached the med-bay in no time. He quickly deposited Bridger on a table. A medical droid came over and immediately unwrapped the makeshift bandages Vader had made. The wounds on Bridger's wrists were bleeding still, soaking through the pieces of fabric. The droid quickly applied some yellow salve to Bridger's wrists. Most likely disinfectant. The droid then gently wrapped the boy's wrists with clean, white, sterile cloth. The droid looked at Vader.

"The boy is in suitable condition. He can be discharged." the droid said in a robotic voice.

Nodding to the medical droid, Vader again picked up Bridger and walked out of the med-bay. They were headed over to Kallus' original destination: the interrogation cells.

^^OOo(With Ezra)oOO^^

Opening his eyes blearily, Ezra realized he wasn't in the med-bay, or in his cell, or in that damn corridor. No. He was now strapped to a vertical table, bound to it by his wrists and his ankles. His table was in a pillar of light, whereas everything else was still dark. His head was pounding, his vision was blurry, and his mouth tasted (and felt) like sandpaper. His tongue felt like cotton and his head felt like a wampa just punched him and hung him upside down. Suddenly, Ezra heard a door open. Metallic breathing filled the room. Ezra shivered. He knew who that haunting breathing belonged to.

Darth Vader walked into his little circle of light, his breathing puncturing the dead silence of the interrogation room. Ezra tugged on his binders, rewarded with a sharp pain in both of his wrists for his efforts. Looking down, Ezra saw his wrists wrapped in stark white bandages. His shoulder was still throbbing painfully from where Kallus had pushed him. A snarl pulled at Ezra's lips. What he wouldn't give for 5 undocumented minutes with that bantha fodder... Ezra was pulled out of his musings when Vader spoke.

"You have great courage, young one," he said, pronouncing his words slowly. "Attacking an Imperial officer would take bravery no mere teenager is known for. But you aren't any mere teenager, aren't you?" Ezra paused. Surely this was an interrogation, not a social call. "But it still wasn't enough, was it? You were still captured, with new scars to show for it, I'm sure. Pity that you couldn't have done what you did on Fort Anaxes. I'm sure that would have been helpful."

Ezra gaped at the Sith Lord in surprise. How did he know about Fort Anaxes? The Grand Inquisitor must've told him. There was no other way that Vader could know of his brief partnership with the Dark Side.

"Yes. I know what happened there. The Grand Inquisitor sent me a report about the seemingly harmless Jedi Padawan who had harnessed the Dark Side as if it were second nature. Instinct, even." Ezra snarled at the foreboding black mask. "Yes. You're anger is well known high in the Imperial ranks." Ezra glared at the wall. How was it his fault if he couldn't control his emotions very well? Emotions are part of being alive! So deal with his attitude and his cheeky responses but it was how he was. It was how he was brought up to be. Not by his parents, but by their absence. Vader leaned in towards Ezra.

"I will give you one last chance to cooperate. Embrace the Dark Side and become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

"I'll never join you!" Ezra yelled, defiance lacing his words. He struggled even more in his binders, slowing down when his struggles brought him nothing but pain. He glared at Vader, who straightened.

"Very well. Keep in mind that you brought this pain upon yourself." he said, turning around and walking out of the cell. When Vader walked out, an Imperial torture droid floated in menacingly. Ezra gulped and straightened as much as he could in his vertical table. Needles filled with different colored serums shined in the light of Ezra's circle.

Suddenly, the droid darted forward and stuck a needle with green serum in Ezra's arm. There was an uncomfortable pressure and then nothing. The droid retracted the needle and simply watched him.

Suddenly, a sharp pain wound its way into Ezra's head. He yelped, closing his eyes tightly. But that didn't help. In his minds eye, Ezra saw the entire Ghost crew. But these weren't the same people he left behind. These people seemed to be leached of all color, their eyes a menacing red. The creature that was supposed to look like Sabine spoke up.

Sabine, the colorful Mandolorian he saw as a big sister.

"Look at you. Ha, you got yourself caught. Probably saved us a lot of trouble, though. In fact, we should be thanking the Imperials. For getting you away from us!"

Zeb spoke next, the Lasat he saw as a brother.

"Oh, boo hoo! Both of my parents are dead! Oh, get over it, loth-rat, your parents probably let themselves get captured by the Empire. Just to get away from you! They probably didn't even care about you... and neither do we!" Phantom-Zeb said savagely. Ezra's hands balled themselves into fists. 'So is this what they really think?' he thought, his anger for the people he thought as family boiling dangerously.

Hera was next, the Twi'lek he saw as an overprotective mother.

"Zeb and Sabine are right. You were nothing but a burden for us. Messing up every single mission, another mouth to feed, never following orders! We should have left you with the Imperials. That way, we wouldn't have to deal with you." Those few words stabbed holes through Ezra's heart.

 _'You're like a mother to me, Hera! How dare you betray my trust? You have no right, Zeb, to talk about my parents like you knew them! Sabine, I never wanted to get dragged into this mess that you call a Rebellion! It was you and your crew that dragged me into this!'_ he thought, his anger peaking with his dark thoughts. The small amount of self-control that he had fought for was waning dangerously. A spark of gold ignited in his electric blue eyes. Betrayal, anger, and disbelief were his only emotions.

Karan, the Jedi that he saw as a father, was the next to torture him.

"There's only one thing that I regret in my life. It wasn't going back for Master Billaba. I don't feel bad about that because I know I couldn't do any more than I already did. No. My biggest regret is taking you in, Ezra. I should've dumped you with Master Luminara. Or left you on Lothal. You know, my vote was the deciding vote in going to help you or not. I chose to go back for you! And I have never made a bigger mistake in my life." he finished savagely.

 _'I put my trust in you, Kanan! I didn't ask to be rescued! I could've gotten out myself. And if it weren't for me, you're precious Rebellion would be nothing but dust right now! I helped you on so many missions, Kanan. Without me, you would be dead 10 times over. Along with your crewmates and the Rebellion you're so desperately trying to keep alive! Without me? The Jedi would be nothing but a long dead memory...'_

Suddenly, Ezra's vision of his crew faded. He found himself with the torture droid, in his little pillar of light.

"What in the hell was that supposed to be?" Ezra asked, his voice raw and hoarse. Probably from screaming. He didn't even remember screaming, thought.

Again, the torture droid came forward with a syringe filled with red liquid. It was injected into his arm. Suddenly, the light was too bright, the table was freezing, the droid humming impossibly loud. Ezra groaned.

The torture droid floated forward, a sharp knife in its arm. Ezra shivered. He was freezing. The droid pressed the flat of the blade on the skin of his right hand. He gasped. It was like burning cold ice on his skin. He clenched his fists, trying to warm them. The droid turned the blade over, exposing his skin to the sharp end of the blade. The droid dragged the knife across Ezra's hand slowly. Ezra groaned a bit, then he yelled as the knife was driven in deeper. Then, the droid removed the knife. Ezra still felt the pain of the burning cold knife puncturing his skin. There was now a waterfall of blood cascading down to his fingertips. He released his fist, with difficulty, and tried to regulate his erratic breathing.

The droid brought the knife down again, this time on his fingertips. Blood fell in drops from his fingertips, adding to the medium sized pool on the usually white floor. He hissed.

 _'How do they even clean these things so good? I mean, I could've seen my reflection 10 minutes ago!'_ Ezra thought.

The droid worked itsway up from Ezra's fingertips until he reached the middle of Ezra's bicep,ignoring Ezra's pain filled , meanwhile, was feeling lightheaded and weak from the pain and excessive loss of blood. He was pale and shaking, cold beyond 6belief. The serum that he had been injected with must've been a sense enhancer. It enhances anyone's sense of touch, smell, sight, taste, and hearing. Well, that explains why the table was dreadfully cold, why the smell of his own blood was making him want to puke, why the lights were so bright all of a sudden, and why the droid that was usually so quiet was abnormally loud. It explained why the pain Ezra was feeling was 10 times more than what he should've been feeling.

Something strange happened next. The droid retracted the blade, which now had a fair amount of Ezra's blood on it. It stood hovering in front of Ezra and his throbbing hand, which was looking a ghastly shade of pale yellow. Then, it turned tail and floated out the door.

Ezra barely had a moment to think on the strange actions of the droid before he passed out, again unconscious within Imperial hands.

^^OOo(With Darth Vader)oOO^^

Vader stood in the observation room of Ezra Bridger's interrogation cell, watching the droid extract the boy's blood creatively. The Force churned around him anxiously, as if he were doing something forbidden by both sides of the Force. The boy's screams echoed in Vader's head even after the torture droid returned to Vader's side. Vader was unnerved. He had killed many grown Jedi, even Jedi younger than Bridger! Why should this Jedi insurgent be any different than the others he had tortured and killed for his Master, for his Empire? There was something about this boy that made the torture session seem wrong, wrong in every way.

Vader looked at the boy, slumped unconscious in the table. Reluctantly, Vader pulled up a mental image of his late wife, Padme Amidala. Bridger looked nothing like her. Even more reluctantly, he pulled up an image of himself, as Anakin Skywalker. The complexion was similar, as was the face structure. The eyes were definitely the same. The same clear electric blue eyes that were always so full of energy, so energetic. The only thing that didn't fit was the hair. Bridger's hair was a nmidnight blue, not a dark blond like his own used to be.

"Come with me." he said to the torture droid. He walked out of the observation room and into the interrogation cell where Bridger was incapacitated. He walked purposefully to Bridger, fingering a lock of his strange blue hair. He looked to the torture droid.

"Analyze this hair to determine if it is dyed." he said, his robotic voice filling the room. The droid floated upwards and extended an arm towards the boy's head. It looked like the barrel of an E-11 blaster. A blue scanner scanned the extended lock of the boy's hair. The beam flashed red and shut off. The droid turned to Vader, speaking to him in binary.

 _"The hair sample provided is dyed with a strong dye that will last up to 20 years."_

"What is the original hair color?" Vader asked.

 _"By the looks of my scans, it looks like the original color would be a dark blonde."_ Vader sucked in a breath at the droids words.

"Can the dye be removed?" he asked.

 _"Yes. It is a simple procedure that involves a refined version of bleach. The chemical will only remove the hair dye, not damage or bleach the actual hair. Would you like me to fetch the supplies?"_ the droid asked.

"No, not yet. But I would like you to retain a sample of the boy's blood."

 _"Of course, Lord Vader."_ The droid used the cuts on Bridger's arm to attain a blood sample. Vader briefly wondered if he should bandage the boy's arm, but quickly decided against it. If he was wrong, this act of kindness would be expected from nothing but a Jedi insurgent, not his son.

"Test the sample against my own." Vader said, already walking out the door.

 _"Of course, Lord Vader."_ the droid repeated, following Vader out of the room.

"Alert me when the results are known." he said. The droid beeped an affirmative and separated from Vader, floating down a different corridor.

Vader walked towards his meditative quarters, thinking on his family. He was told that Padme had died before giving birth to their child, but there was significant evidence that he was misinformed. Perhaps his child was alive. Perhaps Padme was, however far fetched that may be. Who was it that told him that his wife and unborn child were killed by his hand? Oh, Emperor Palpatine was the one that told him the bad news. Was it possible he was deceived? Well, there was only one way to find out for sure...

* * *

Oh my god, I loved writing this chapter. This chapter was filled with angst and mystery. I LOVE IT! Anyway, sorry for the late update. This is my last week of Winter Break so I'll try to get in some more chapters before I go back to school on Monday. Anyway, I'm celebrating my birthday soon and I probably will only update later this week because I'm going back to school and my birthday lands on January 10th so I'll probably be slammed...

Until next time! R&R!

-Nightingale0708


	4. Chapter 4 Dark Discoveries

**Last Chapter:** Kanan realizes just how close Ezra is to joining the Dark Side. Obi-Wan reveals to Ahsoka Ezra's true identity. Ezra has a run-in with the Dark Side, proving to Vader how suseptable he truly is. Vader realizes how alike him and Ezra are, so he decides to run a blood test to see if they are related.

* * *

^^OOo(With Ezra)oOO^^

Opening his eyes was a mistake. His head was on his shoulder, looking down his right arm. The sight made him want to gag. His arm from his forearm down was a mess of irritated flesh and clotted blood. He moved his arm slightly, erecting a sharp yell of pain from him. The wounds on Ezra's arm reopened, spewing both blood and white pus from the offending flesh. There must've been poison on the knife.

 _'Kriff. That's gonna get infected, if it isn't already...'_ he thought, his thoughts sluggish and slow. Ezra felt hot, hotter than hard summers in the sun on Lothal. He had a high fever.

The sense enhancer the torture droid had given him seemed to be wearing off. The table wasn't that cold anymore and the pain in his arm was a dull, but often painful, throb. His head still hurt and the lights were still too bright. Ezra groaned slightly, turning his head to the other side. Ezra tried to move the rest of his body but he remained immobile. His limbs simply refused to do his bidding. Ezra relaxed, deciding that he wasn't going anywhere for the time being. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate.

The room seemed to darken. Everything was blocked out. Sound and sight were nothing. Ezra extended his senses, trying to get a message to his Master. He sensed Kanan clearly, as clearly as the storm troopers guarding his door. But he couldn't reach was nothing but white noise, another presence, another light, another fish in the ever expanding ocean of the Force. This wasn't natural. Ezra and Kanan had a bond, they should be able to contact each other! Something was blocking Ezra from reaching Kanan and vise versa. They could sense emotions but nothing else. Not locations or thoughts. Nothing useful to them.

Suddenly, Ezra felt as if an impenetrable cage was slammed down around him, trapping him and cutting him off from the Force. He gasped as a sharp pain went through his head, a cold tendril of the Force searching him. The tendril gently probed his hastily put up mental shields. Suddenly, the tendril slammed against his mental shields, making a large crack. Ezra cried out in pain as the tendril slithered through Ezra's defenses, searching through Ezra's memories and thoughts.

 _'You won't get them, you sleemo.'_ he thought, determined to protect his Rebel friends. He strengthened his shields while simultaneously pulling the Dark tendril from his mind. He doubled and then tripled his defenses, awaiting another attack. It never came.

The dark tendril seemed almost amused as it retreated the rest of the way out of Ezra's mind. Ezra relaxed slightly, opening his eyes yet again. The bright lights aggravated his headache so he closed his eyes yet again.

 _'What in the world just happened?'_

He wasn't allowed thoughts on that matter, however, because the door to the room opened, bathing Ezra and his table in white light. A slight humming could be heard as the door slid shut, cutting off the sharp source of light. The humming was still present. Ezra opened his eyes, annoyed at what he saw.

The torture droid from the day before was hovering before him, a needle in one of its arms. Ezra struggled fruitlessly in his binders, trying desperately to escape his prison. The droid stuck a different needle in his neck and a sense of unnatural calm came over him. Ezra relaxed, letting down his mental shields in the process. His eyes closed, subjecting him to a blissfully dark oblivion.

 _'It's okay. Nothing's going to happen. Everything is fine. Don't focus on the fact that you've been captured. Don't focus on the torture droid in front of you. Don't- wait, torture droid?!'_

Ezra's eyes snapped open just as the droid inserted another needle into his arm. Ezra felt sluggish and his eyes felt heavy, as did his limbs. Yet another needle was brought out as Ezra struggled to keep his eyes open. His vision had dark spots on the edges and he could feel himself slipping from consciousness. He could, however, still feel the prick of the needle as it was inserted into his neck, feel the uncomfortable pressure of an unknown liquid being pushed into his bloodstream.

Ezra couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He just couldn't. He closed his eyes again, welcoming sleep. However, he didn't welcome the Sith Lord induced nightmares that plagued him...

^^OOo(Start Nightmare)oOO^^

Ezra was standing in a field. One of the fields of Lothal, by the looks of it. He had his lightsaber and blaster with him. The Ghost was suddenly a few yards away from him, the ramp open and inviting. Ezra tried to move but he couldn't. His feet seemed to be rooted to the ground.

Then, the rest of the Ghost crew walked down the ramp. They had looks of betrayal on their faces. They seemed to be afraid of him. But how, why? There was nothing to be afraid of. They were friends, family even. But that didn't explain the looks of betrayal on their faces.

"We trusted you. How could you sell us out?" Hera's voice was breaking.

"We trusted you so many times. We saved you so many times and you still betrayed us." Sabine couldn't even look at the teenager she used to call a brother, who seemed very confused right now.

"Wait. What are you guys talking about? I didn't sell you out, the Imperials know nothing!" he said, desperately trying to defend himself. He scanned his crew, searching for any indication that they were kidding or under Imperial influence. But he found nothing. They were telling the truth. Kanan stepped forward.

"What are we talking about? You joined the Empire and sold us out!"

Ezra was flabbergasted. He joined the Empire? The same Empire that killed his parents? That's just crazy. There was no way that he would join the tyranny that was the Empire. Kanan seemed to see his confusion and smirked.

"Look for yourself, traitor." he said, gesturing at Ezra's clothes. Ezra looked down and his jaw dropped. He wasn't in his Rebel uniform anymore. He was dressed all in black with a belt and a chest plate, cape and shoulder guard. On the shoulder guard,the Imperial symbol was stamped proudly in white.

"What?" he gasped. His voice sounded weird now. It was mechanical and sounded a bit like Vader's voice. He had a mask on, covering the lower half of his face from the bridge of his nose down. He couldn't see his eyes, but he was sure that they were a burning gold. His blue hair was shoulder length and curly.

Suddenly, Kanan lunged at him, igniting his blue lightsaber in the process. On pure instinct, Ezra unclipped his lightsaber and ignited it, bringing it up in front of his face horizontally to block Kanan's blow. To his surprise, the blade of his saber was red. The hilt was the same but the blade was a blood red instead of an artic blue. The color reflected eerily off of his face.

Kanan and Ezra dueled. They dueled more fiercely then they ever had. Their light sabers were a storm of blue and red, a mass of purple. Ezra was mostly on the offensive, keeping Kanan busy and tiring him out fast. Ezra easily disarmed Kanan, kicking the back of his knee. Kanan crashed to the ground, defeated. Ezra had barely broken a sweat. He pointed his red lightsaber at Kanan's neck.

"You are beaten, Kanan." he said, his mechanical voice icy.

"So it seems... so it seems." Kanan said, looking at his former apprentice with malice. Suddenly, he jumped forward. Ezra tried to lower his saber but his reflexes weren't fast enough. He ended up impaling Kanan in the stomach with his blood red lightsaber. Ezra gasped as he quickly extracted the lightsaber from Kanan's abdomen, the noise sounding strange with his mechanical voice. He knelt in front of Kanan, holding him steady by his shoulders. Kanan looked up to him, his eyes showing his sorrow and betrayal. As Kanan looked up into Ezra's burning gold eyes, he muttered but a single word.

"Traitor..." With that, Kanan fell on his side, dead by his apprentice's hand. The ground around him turned black and Ezra woke up, sweaty and shaking at the dream he'd had. And Ezra couldn't shake the picture from his mind, the picture of his Master's eyes staring up at him, dull and lifeless.

* * *

^^OOo(With Vader)oOO^^

Vader was impressed. The boy's mental shields were strong for a Padawan. Even when immersed in the vision, his mental shields were set firmly in place. The boy was strong, there was no doubt about that. But there was the effort of breaking him. The boy was resilient and stubborn, much like his younger self. He wouldn't be particularly easy to break into the Dark Side. It would be better if he walked the Dark path by his side willingly. If only the results from the blood test were conclusive...

Vader had asked for updates on the test multiple times, only to be shut down by an annoying droid seemingly bend on hiding the results from him. Vader had just decided on making the trip down to the med-bay when his comm link sounded. Vader pressed a button on his desk, transmitting the feed. A hologram of a medical droid showed up.

"What is it?" Vader asked, his mechanical voice rivaling the droid's own.

 _"Lord Vader, the results from the test you requested have come in."_ the droid said. Vader leaned forward anxiously.

"Well?" he asked, his impatience getting he best of him. "What were the results?"

 _"Transmitting now."_ Vader nearly growled in frustration. Why couldn't the stupid, good for nothing droid just tell him the results?! A picture came up on his holo-comm. It was two DNA strands revolving slowly next to each other. Under the strands, there was text.

 **DNA Sample from Patient 1: E. Bridger**

 **DNA Sample from Patient 2: Lord Vader**

 **DNA Test Results: Conclusive**

 **Percentage of Paternity: 99.99%**

 _"So as you can see, Lord Vader, the results to the test were conclusive. There isn't any doubt that the boy is your son."_

Vader was barely listening at this point.

"Is there any chance the test was wrong?" he asked.

 _"Impossible. There isn't any margin for error in our institution."_

"Very well." With those two words, Vader ended the transmission, pondering what he just heard.

He and Padme had a _son_. Their son survived Mustafar. Vader had regretted his actions on Mustafar with his very being once he heard of the consequences. The woman he'd loved with all his heart had been killed by his hand, along with their unborn child she carried. At least, that's what he'd been thinking all these years...

But there was another possibility. If their son survived, it was possible that Padme survived as well. Yes, that was unlikely, but not impossible. But in order to even consider that, Vader had to face the thought that his Master had lied to him all these years. He had destroyed everything he'd once stood for in order to follow his Master into darkness. His morals, his wife, his friendship, his child... He would give anything to go back and do it all again differently but he can't. He was doomed to live this live. But now maybe with the help of his son, he can create the life he'd always want for him and Padme. But that would have to wait. He had to find out how his son had survived.

Vader walked over to his holo-vid. He searched up medical facilities close to Mustafar. There were several but the closest was one called Polis Massa. That's were they would've gone. Pressing a button on his holo-vid, Vader hailed the medical center. While he waited for them to pick up, he thought on what he knew of the medical center. Vader had killed many Jedi that had escaped Order 66 that had seemed refuge there. It was far from any major trade out post so it made sense to hide there. Suddenly, a medical droid picked up the line from Polis Massa.

 _"Lord Vader, this is a pleasant surprise. What can I do to help you today?"_ the droid asked.

"To start, you can tell me if any births took place about 16 years ago? Around the rise of the Empire?"

The droid paused for a moment.

 _"Yes. It seems that only two births were recorded in that specific timeframe. Both from the same mother it seems."_

Vader froze. Could it possibly be true?

"What was the mother's name?"

Another pause.

 _"Padme Amidala Skywalker, my lord."_

Vader released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"And the children?"

 _"They were named Luke and Leia, sir. They were twins, the girl born only minutes after boy."_

"What was the fate of the children?"

 _"Both the girl and the boy were taken by one Obi-Wan Kenobi."_ Taken? No, that could't be right. Padme would never let him out of her sight, much less their children. Unless...

"What was the fate of the mother?" Vader asked, fearing the answer.

 _"She was ill for a short time after the birth but made a speedy recovery. She checked out mere days after giving birth."_

So, Padme survived the events of Mustafar. Palpatine had lied to him, he had lied right to his face! Raw anger and untamed rage took over Vader's thoughts. Not only had that wrinkly bastard taken away his wife, he had taken away his children! When Vader got his hands on that slimy piece of bantha poodoo, he would make him burn hotter than the fires of Mustafar...

But that was to be discussed later, when his family were standing with him against Palpatine. For now, he had to try and break the news to his son. How would he take it? It was a big adjustment, to be sure. The poor boy thinks that he's an only child and his parents are dead. He's lived most of his life believing that lie planted by the Jedi Kenobi. Little does he know he not only has a twin sister, his parents are alive as well. But his parents aren't who he thinks they are. Hell, _he_ isn't who he thinks he is. He isn't Ezra Bridger, son of two insurgents. He's Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin and Padme Skywalker, twin brother to Leia Skywalker. And nothing will stand in the way of Vader reconnecting with his lost family. Not Palpatine, not the Sith, not even the damned  
coffin he was forced to walk around in all his life for the past 16 years!

Nothing will stand in his way.

Nothing at all.

* * *

 **Whew! This concludes this chapter. Aren't you excited?! I sure as hell am! I can't wait to type Ezra's reaction! Ahhh! **takes deep breath*** okay. I really need to calm down. Unfortunately, I'm going back to school tomorrow so updates will be slightly slower. Fortunately, I'm off from my softball team for a few weeks so that should speed things up a bit.**

 **Okay, so in this story, Leia is indeed raised on Alderann, but runs away from home. She establishes herself in Corellia, securing a ship and a co-pilot for herself. She's a smuggler and she has run ins with both the Empire and the Rebellion but she is more involved with the Rebels. She is a vital part of the Rebellion but avoids Bail Organa. She changes her name, which is to be revealed later. **dramatic pause****

 **Anyway, I'll try to update my other stories a little more often. I know it's been a while so I really need to get back on track. Next update will be for one of my other stories, for sure! I'll try my best, at least. Please don't kill me...**

 **Oh, I almost forgot!**

 **Disclaimer: I DONT OWN ANYTHING! As much as I wish I did...**

 **Until next time, guys!**

 **-Nightingale0708**


	5. Chapter 5- From a Certain Point of View

Chapter 5: From a Certain Point of View

 **Author's Note: I know I posted the last chapter a too bit early but here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy! Read and review and make sure to comment down below!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

^^OOo(New Character)oOO^^

Corellia was a busy planet, filled to the brim with smugglers and low-life scum. Many often threw their weight around, building a reputation. But there was a crew known well throughout the galaxy, made completely of smugglers. It was a female, a male and a Wookie, much to the surprise of their enemies. It was very amusing to watch their enemies cower in fear of their furry friend. They were the crew of the Millennium Falcon.

The male was the co-captain of their ship. He was the one that acquired the ship in a well-played game of Sabacc against Lando Calrissian. He had dark brown hair and light brown eyes. He was often dressed in dark pants, a light long sleeve shirt, and a vest. He was almost never seen without his trademark DL-44 blaster at his hip. The only other thing he held more dear to him was his ship, the Falcon. Of course, he cared for his crew, too. But he only pretended that he didn't. Though when it comes down to it, he would sacrifice himself if it meant his crew left safely. This male was known as Han Solo.

The Wookie was named Chewbacca. He was never seen without Solo, to whom he owed a life debt, or his standard Wookie bowcaster slung across his shoulder. He was immensely taller than most grown men and the only two people he was friendly towards were his crew. His crew were mainly the only ones that could understand his native language and for that, he was immensely grateful.

Last but not least, the female. The female had thick, dark brown hair that was pulled in a wavy, sleek high ponytail that still reached the bottom of her back. Her eyes were a striking blue hazel. Something that was off with her eyes was that when she was angry, they turned an icy, striking blue. If she was impassive, they remained the original blue hazel. If she was calm or happy, they turned to chocolate orbs. This female was known to be a runaway...from Alderaan. Some higher bounty hunters knew her and have tried to collect the bounty on her head, put into place by the man she used to call Father, Senator Bail Organa. When she had learned of the bounty on her head, she had swore never to talk to her father again. A few years earlier, she had deduced that she was not his daughter, more of a adoptive daughter. When she found out, Chewbacca had felt bad for Han Solo as she vented to her male counterpart. After that, bounty hunters feared the name Azura Cora Naberrie.

Not many bounty hunters were aware that Azura was technically from House Naberrie on Naboo. She knew that she was related to House Naberrie but she didn't know how closely. She didn't know her parents' identities. And many people were being well payed to make sure she never will. Azura didn't know that either. She was ignorant in many things regarding her unknown family. But she was knowledgeable in many other things. Such as negotiation, holding and firing a blaster, and knowing when to keep herself and her crew out of trouble. Most of the other bounty hunters held feelings for Azura but they were quickly chased off by her and her crew. She only had eyes for Han and Han only had eyes for her, but of course they would never mention that to each other. Only Chewbacca knew of the feelings Han and Azura had for each other and it wasn't like he wanted to get thrown off the Falcon, so he wouldn't risk exposing the truth.

Right now, the crew of the Falcon were trying to secure a job for themselves. They were pretty much set on credits, but they were pretty bored. After a few weeks of lounging around and doing repairs, Azura, Han, and Chewy were bored out of their minds. They were, after all, parked on one of the plains of Lothal. Azura and Han were in the cockpit while Chewy was still doing repairs in the back of the ship. Azura's foot was tapping impatiently against the durasteel floor of the Falcon. Every so often, Han would look over impatiently at her and she would stop. For 5 minutes. She would start again a few moments later, annoying him to no end. Chewy walked past the cockpit entrance a couple times, each time seeing the glare Han was giving Azura. Finally, Han snapped.

"Do you mind?" he asked sharply. Azura stopped and leveled him with a hazel eyed glare.

"What?" she asked. Han gestured to the control panel.

"Well, I'm sorry, Your Highnessness, but some of us are trying to get us off this wretched planet." he said. Han and Chewy were the only ones that Azura trusted enough with her other identity, Princess Leia Organa. Therefore, they're the only ones teasing her about it. Azura shrugged at the use of her nickname.

"Well, I happen to like Lothal. It's a nice planet." she said.

"Not really. Those stupid animals keep on tripping me every time Chewy and I go to make repairs outside." he said. Azura smiled, trying her hardest not to laugh.

"You mean the Loth-cats?" she asked, still trying to stifle her giggles. Han waved his hand.

"Well, whatever they're called, they're almost more annoying than your foot, Princess," he leaned in real close, as if sharing a secret. "You might want to get that checked out. It seems to have a mind of it's own." Azura shrugged and continued tapping her foot, the noise still annoying to Han. He narrowed his eyes at her, close to snapping once again. Azura stopped, leveling him with a innocent look that led him to believe that she didn't know what she was doing. . His eyes softened a bit, going back to his work on the control panel. Once he looked away, however, Azura started up again. He once again leveled her with a glare. This went on for about 5 minutes until Han snapped again.

"Why don't you go take a walk or something?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation light. Azura stood up immediately.

"What do you need?" she asked.

"Well, I need to fix that breach in the hull so we'll need more Duralloy plating," Han pressed a few buttons on the panel. "We also need a new Nordoxicon shield projector. Ours was shot on the last job." Azura made a mental note of these things and turned to walk out the door.

"Anything else?" she asked. Han hesitated slightly before answering. He got up out of his chair and walked with Azura.

"Actually, I'm going to go with you. That way I can make sure you get the right one." Han said. Azura sent him an irritated glare.

"For your information, my memory is way better than yours. You forget things left and right." she said, trying to get her counterpart to see reason. Han shook his head.

"Well, at least I know the difference between a welder and a torque wrench." Han said slyly. Azura sent him yet another glare.

"Well, my piloting skills are way better than yours. Our last job you almost got us killed."

"That's because we were almost out of fuel. I had to keep firing the engine to keep us from crashing!"

They were walking out of the Falcon now, to occupied with their current argument to notice Chewy looking at them curiously. Chewy roared to make his presence known. Han and Azura halted their argument to hear what their co-pilot had to say.

A growl.

"Oh, relax, Chewy, we're not gonna get shot." Han said impatiently, seemingly eager to continue his fight with his counterpart.

Another growl.

"Yeah, just keep repairing the ship, Chewy, I'll help you when we get back." Azura added helpfully. She always was better at comforting Chewbacca. The Wookie nodded and went back to welding the hull of the ship. The two continued on their way, making small talk and witty banter. Chewy shook his head, muttering in his native tongue.

* * *

When our duo reached the main city, there were people milling around everywhere. Knowing the way pickpockets worked, Han and Azura kept their hands on both their well-earned credits and their blasters. They made it to the mechanic's shop without much trouble. Just a few attempts at pickpockets. They got the parts they needed plus a few more just in case because the Falcon had a habit of breaking down when it came down to it. Both Han and Azura knew this but Han thought that the Falcon was "the best looking junk pile" he's ever seen. Azura totally agreed.

Suddenly, a boy ahead of them yelled out something like "Hey, bucket heads!" and started firing at the Stormtroopers. Everyone ducked for cover from the ensuing firefight. Han and Azura hid behind some crates of fruit, hands itching to unclip their blasters. Azura had actually unclipped her blaster to help the blue-haired, yet familiar, boy when Han laid one of his hands on hers. She looked up at him. Azura didn't know why, but she had to help this boy. It seemed wrong to leave him to fend for himself, though he was doing a good job of wiping the floor with the Stormtroopers. He seemed so familiar, though she was sure he wasn't family. She had never seen him before. He was her age, with blue hair and striking blue eyes that were brighter than hers. He was firing with a blaster but Azura's eyes strayed to his left hip, where a lightsaber hung. Without even having to see it, she could tell that it had an arctic blue blade, the same shade her eyes were when she was mad. She didn't know why she knew this much about a boy she hadn't even met. She just knew she had to help him. Now, Azura felt as if she had a massive headache. It drove itself through her head, making her stifle a groan. Han saw and placed a hand on her shoulder.

'Are you okay?'

Azura waved him off, now hearing the boy's pain filled scream. She jumped out from behind her hiding space...only to see the blue haired boy unconscious, being dragged away be Imperials. Azura's heart sank. It seemed wrong that she hadn't helped him. Just wrong.

Everyone suddenly went back to business as usual, not even giving the boy a second glance as the Imperials dragged him into the medical vehicle. Azura turned away, not wanting to feel the wrongness that was filling her. She should've helped the boy, safety and logic be damned. Han grabbed her arm.

"Come on, Azura. Let's go." he said softly. Azura allowed herself to be pulled away by her friend, troubled as to why saving that boy meant so much to her.

* * *

^^OOo(With Ezra)oOO^^

Ezra didn't want to open his eyes. It would only bring him pain. He had learned his lesson well. That was why he fidgeted in his restraints without opening his eyes, bringing a sharp stab of pain to his right arm. Ezra opened his eyes slightly, trying to avoid ramping up his headache. The lights were still bright, but not as bright as before. Looking down at the source of his pain, he almost passed out again.

The multiple wounds on his arm looked more infected than before. Each cut was more inflamed than the one before. His hand had swelled and was red and painful. If Ezra moved his arm in any way, it brought a sharp, burning pain to every inch of his arm. Even the part that wasn't swelled was red. You could see black veins creeping up his arm from his infected wound. Deciding that he should try and open his eyes more, Ezra averted his eyes from his infected wound.

Slowly but surely, Ezra opened his eyes, making sure to avert his eyes from his arm. He was still on the vertical table but now it was horizontal. Unfortunately, that meant that he was facing the lights directly. Averting his eyes yet again to his left, he searched for relief from his predicament. The table was blissfully cool, soothing his aggravated skin.

Suddenly he noticed another presence. One that was soothing but cold. Trying to connect with it brought pain to his already skull-splitting headache so he settled for just sensing the strange presense. Conflicting emotions welled up inside of the teenager.

'Kanan.' Ezra thought. For a second, he was confronted. He was being rescued! But if was Kanan, it should be easier to connect with him, easier to contact him. But Ezra couldn't sense if it was Kanan. You'd think that after all the time Ezra had spent with him, he would recognize his Force signature. Then the door to his interrogation room opened and his hopes of being rescued were crushed. He gasped as he saw who walked in the room.

Mechanical breathing shattered the fragile silence in the room and Darth Vader walked in.


	6. Chapter 6- Revelations

Chapter 6: Revelations

 **Author's Note: So I brought in Leia, Han and Chewy! Hopefully, you guys didn't think it was bad that I kinda changed her eye color. I thought brown was kinda ordinary for the Force wielding daughter of the Hero with No Fear, now known as the Sith Lord Darth Vader, and the former Queen of Naboo, so I made her a little more exotic. Hope you don't mind. Also, Ezra's true identity will be revealed to him in this chapter. If you have any suggestions, PM me or leave a review.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

^^OOo(With Ezra)oOO^^

Ezra's breath hitched in his throat as he saw the Dark Lord of the Sith walk in. He couldn't see his eyes, but Ezra could tell that he was looking at his injured arm. Vader's mechanical breathing filled the room, filling Ezra with dread. What was he planning to do? Was he trying to turn him to the Dark Side again? That wouldn't be surprising...

"What do you want, Vader?" Ezra asked, his voice filled with so much venom that he surprised himself. Vader was obviously taken aback. Ezra could sense his shock through the Force, or at least his apprehension. Vader seemed nervous for whatever reason. Why would he be nervous to face a captured Padawan of a Jedi who barely survived the Jedi Purges. Why?

"I have some information that might be of use to you." Vader said, catching Ezra's attention. Were the rest of his crew captured? No, hopefully they hadn't gone on some suicide mission to save him. They couldn't save him while he was in the presence of a Sith Lord. There was no hope.

"And would that be?" Ezra asked, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. He couldn't remember ever feeling this helpless. The only other time being when his parents had died and he was forced to live on the streets on Lothal. That was not a pleasant memory.

"It concerns your parents." Vader said. He obviously couldn't figure out how to say whatever he was trying to say. And it was pissing Ezra off.

"There's nothing to say," he said resolutely. "They died 7 years ago." Though Vader didn't seem surprised at the news, he was surprised by the bitterness in the child's voice. Ezra glared at a spot on the ceiling, seemingly willing it to explode.

"You're parents aren't dead." Vader said, before he could lose his nerve. Ezra's head snapped towards him, eyes full of disbelief and anger. He then closed his eyes and shook his head, chuckling mirthlessly.

"You don't know anything about my parents. Or about me." Ezra said firmly. Vader shook his head ruefully.

"I know more than you can possibly imagine." he said mysteriously, his voice ringing with the truth. Sensing this, Ezra's eyes widened.

"How?" he asked forcefully, unbelieving that his parents could be alive. After living the way he had and fending for himself for all those years, there could be no way that his parents were alive and well, just chilling while their son was son the streets begging and stealing scraps.

"First of all, your parents aren't Mira and Ephraim Bridger." The shock that Vader had expected filtered into Ezra's shocking blue eyes, so much like his own before his Fall. As Ezra's eyes widened, he wondered why he trusted the man that was standing in front of him. The same man that had tried to turn him to the Dark Side. The same man that had agreed to his torture. No, the strange connection to the Dark Lord, as well as its origin, continued to ignore him. It made absolutely no sense.

"And how would you know?" Ezra asked, his voice a little more than a whisper, but defiant.

"Because I ran the paternity test myself." Vader said, hoping he didn't reveal too much information with this statement. Ezra's eyes narrowed when he said this. 'Don't you need a sample of DNA to conduct a paternity test?' he thought. His parents, unknown or not, were _dead_. Ezra didn't need to voice his thoughts. They rang through the Force, alerting Vader, who was grateful he didn't necessarily have to answer that question.

"So if I believe you, which is close to impossible, who really are my parents?" he asked, his curiosity piqued, despite the suspicion rippling through his veins.

"Former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padme Amidala, formerly known as the Queen of Naboo." Vader said hurriedly. Ezra recognised the names. Anakin Skywalker was the man he saw in his vision, the man who fought with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Padme Amidala must be the voice he was talking to, his wife. But the reliability of Vader's statement could be dealt with later on. It's what was said in his statement that bothered young Ezra.

"What do you mean former Jedi Knight? Was he killed in the Purges like a lot of the Jedi?" he asked. From offhand comments made by Ahsoka, Ezra knew that he was the most powerful Force sensitive Jedi during the time of the Republic. To be his son would be amazing, albeit surprising. 'And damn near impossible.' Ezra added in his mind. He shook himself out of his little stupor of hope. No. No _way_.

"Yes. And no." Vader said thoughtfully. Ezra huffed, needing a straight answer for once.

"What happened to my supposed mother, then?" Ezra sensed a change in Vader's behavior as he mentioned the former Queen or Naboo.

"Your mother's full name was Padme Naberrie Amidala-Skywalker. And she was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Ezra's eyes widened as he heard this information. This was getting too complicated. There was good chance that Anakin Skywalker was killed during the Jedi Purges but it seemed like Vader was in love with Skywalker's wife. That just put too many pieces in play. It was rumored that Vader has been the one to kill Anakin Skywalker in a duel on Mustafar. Was their conflicting love for the Senator the reason for Skywalker's death?

"I want another paternity test." he said, determination flashing through his eyes. He felt that Vader was telling the truth. He sensed it. The Force doesn't lie. But Sith Lords that were really powerful do. He didn't think that paternity test could be fabricated. Hopefully not, otherwise he was walking into the biggest trap of his life.

Vader simply nodded curtly and pulled a holodisk from his black belt. He clicked a button from the side of it, starting up the hologram. Before long, a picture of DNA strands were visible. One of them said

 **SKYWALKER, ANAKIN**

The other said

 **BRIDGER, EZRA**

Ezra didn't know what the numbers at the bottom meant but he knew enough to know that the test was conclusive. Anakin Skywalker was his real father. Ezra felt numb as he stared at the test blankly. He could tell Vader was gauging his reaction but he didn't care. His entire life was a lie! Wait, does that mean that his mother, Mira, could be another fraud?

Vader could practically see the gears turning in his son's head. He was so much like his mother, Padme Amidala, in that sense. Always trying to find a loophole in whatever deal was made, though he supposed Ezra had to inherited a little from him. The youngster already had his extreme Force sensitivity and his eyes. What else was there?

"Now," Vader started, bringing Ezra out of his stupor. "I need to show you something else." Confusion replaced the shock in Ezra's eyes as Vader fiddled with the holodisk. Suddenly, Ezra's name disappeared. Confused, he looked to Vader for an explanation but Vader ignored him. When the Sith Lord was done messing around with the disk, two names were visible.

 **SKYWALKER, ANAKIN**

The other said

 **DARTH VADER**

Ezra watched as Vader's DNA strand overlapped Anakin Skywalker's perfectly as the screen flashed green. He knew what this meant. He just didn't want to believe it. Anakin Skywalker wasn't killed in the Jedi Purges. He participated in them. He helped murder the Jedi and aided in the fall of the Republic. Anakin Skywalker was his biological father. His father fell to the Dark Side, creating the Galactic Empire, becoming Darth Vader.

Ezra looked at his newly-found father. His father looked at him. Electric eyes met burning gold, which now had the barest hint of blue. There were so many questions that were swirling around in Ezra's mind that it was giving him a slight headache. But only one made it to his mouth.

"How?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper, looking at Vader with electric eyes that betrayed his emotions. Betrayal, uneasiness, and maybe, just maybe, the slightest bit of hope. Ezra had always wanted a family. Ever since his "parents" were taken away. In Ezra's eyes, this was a second chance. A second chance to have a family, to be loved. Sure, the crew of the Ghost were great but Kanan had never really tried to fill that fatherly-like void. He was more of a kind, but strict, mentor that cared deeply for his student. Ezra did care for Kanan but he'd always held a little hope that his own father would come back and claim him. Guess this was a demented version of that fantasy.

"Back when I was a Jedi, my master and I were assigned to protect the former Queen of Naboo, your mother, Senator Padme Amidala. She was in danger of being assassinated by one one of Naboo's enemies, the Trade Federation. She had angered one of the Federation's leaders, Viceroy Gunray, and he had ordered for her to be assassinated. While my former master left to try to uncover who was actually trying to kill her, I was assigned by the Jedi Council to protect the Senator from any further harm." Ezra's eyes snapped up, alarmed.

" _Further_ harm? She was hurt?" he asked.

"She had some minor scrapes from the bombing." he said. Ezra's eyebrows raised.

"They tried to blow up her ship. She only survived because she used a security decoy, one of her bodyguards, in her place." Ezra nodded, a silent beckoning to continue.

"We traveled to her homeworld of Naboo and stayed there in the lake country in a deserted island that had a mansion. We stayed there for a few days, but then I had started having these nightmares about my mother dying, in pain." It was obviously paining Vader to talk about his mother so Ezra stayed silent, even though the questions swirling around in his head were threatening to overwhelm him. "Even though it posed a threat to your mother, she agreed to come with me to search for my mother on our home planet, a desert planet called Tatooine. When we got there, I left your mother under the protection of my step-brother Owen and his then-girlfriend Beru so I could search for my mother. I was able to find her, with the aid of the Force." Vader paused, not wanting to continue. He didn't like talking about his turn to the Dark Side, however brief it was. He'd avenged his mother, rightfully so. He was just too slow. He wasn't able to save her from the monsters that'd hurt her. He'd felt a sense of completion after slaughtering the Sand-people, immediately diminished by the hole in his heart, made by his mother's death. Apparently, he'd been swallowed up by his thoughts because his son reached out to him.

"Umm, hello?" Ezra asked, unintentionally probing Vader's mind through the Force. Both Force users recoiled, however, when a strange energy passed between them. Both Force-users shut their eyes tight when their Force signatures were bound tightly with something unbreakable. The tendril Ezra had used to probe Vader was suddenly frozen in place as a tendril of Vader's was brought out as well. The two were bound tightly with sonthing slightly resembling Chinese handcuffs. The 'rope' binding the two together snapped into place and both were sent reeling. Ezra spoke first, eyes alight with confusion.

"What was _that_?" he asked, panting slightly, not familiar with the concept of Force-bonds. Vader stayed silent for a moment as he contemplated what had happened. He probed the bond gently, getting a hum in return. It felt... open. He could feel the boy's confusion and astonishment, with the slightest bit of fear and anger hidden beneath the surface. He could sense the million questions swirling around in the youngling's head, the gears turning. He had only felt that sensation three times before, but never so suddenly.

With Qui-Gon, the bond had formed over time, with the encounters the two had had in their short time together. That particular bond now lay dormant.

With Obi-Wan, the bond had formed over time, as with Qui-Gon, but it was much stronger than its successor due to the much larger amount of time spent together, exactly the opposite of his relationship with Qui-Gon. They fought together, saved each other's lives more times than either could count. That bond laid broken and tattered, feeling as though it was a rope burned through with acid.

With Ahsoka, the bond had formed the first day they had met, when he had accepted her as his Jedi Padawan. Their bond had grown stronger every day, perhaps even stronger than the one he used to have with Obi-Wan. They thought the same way, fought the same way, and even acted the same way. She was his little sister, who he had lost. The bond lay dormant and unused.

The bond with Sidious was more like a leash. A collar, if you will, that tightens around him when he slips up. Like one of the whips that he was lashed with as a child slave, it was forced on him.

"It seems like you have created a Force Bond between us." Ezra's eyes widened, confusion apparent.

"What? How? I didn't even-"

"It appears that even though you weren't attempting to create a Bond, one was automatically created because of our," Vader paused and made a sound, one that could pass as someone clearing their throat if you paid attention. "...paternal connection." Ezra didn't know what to think of this so he simply nodded, looking thoughtful. He shifted in his position, hitting his right arm wrong. He was able to stifle the yell of pain that threatened to leave him, but he couldn't mask the pain that flickered across his face, and through the Force.

Vader's head snapped down to Ezra's arm, sensing the great pain he was feeling through their new bond.

"We need to get that checked out." Vader mumbled, pressing a button on the table Ezra was attached to. The handcuffs retracted into the table, freeing Ezra's hands. Not that it did him much good. He didn't have any chance of escaping, even if he wanted to. He was weak from blood loss, shocked, and his right arm gave him a sharp jolt of pain from the slightest movement. Sensing his son's predicament, Vader gently helped Ezra sit up from the harsh metal table, holding onto his good arm. Ezra was surprised at the gentleness Vader was exhibiting. Normally, Sith Lords don't show this gentle attitude towards enemies. Well, Ezra wasn't really sure if they were enemies any longer but he wasn't about to ask.

Vader helped Ezra sit up from the hard metal table. The blood rushed from Ezra's head, making him look deathly pale, his eyes glassy and filled with pain. Seeing the pain his son was in, Vader waved his hand in front of his face, sending a Force suggestion to his son's mind through their bond. Ezra's eyes rolled up in his head, slumping forward into his father's arm, now in a deep sleep. Without his son's objections, Vader was now able to examine this son's condition.

His arm looked badly infected, red and swollen with yellow pus slowly oozing from the now-open wound. Blue and red veins of infection traveled up his arm, almost reaching his shoulder. Ezra was pale, weak from blood loss and subconsciously in pain from the jolting of his wounded arm. Deciding to let the medical droids examine his son, Vader decided to just carry him to the med bay. Picking up Ezra, who was surprisingly light for a teenager his age, Vader carried him to the med bay, ignoring the odd stares he got from other Imperial officers. An Imperial helping a Rebel? Many Imperials would have liked to ask Vader what he was doing, but they valued their life too much to put said life in risk so valiantly. Vader and his son finally made it to the med bay, where a medical droid immediately rushed over, helping Vader place the boy on the soft medical table reserved for Imperials.

"How can I be of service?" the droid asked.

"His arm is badly infected." Vader said simply, not knowing what else to say. He stepped back as the medical droid examined Ezra. Worry filled him at the thought of his only son dying on his watch. It was his fault that Ezra's arm was injured in the first place, after all. If he caused his son's death... In a spurt of emotion, he gently grasped his son's uninjured hand.

 _'Please be okay.'_ Vader sent his message through their Force Bond, unaware that Ezra subconsciously heard him. So when Ezra responded, Vader was surprised. He didn't respond with words, however. The assurance that was sent through their bond was enough to alleviate Vader's growing worry. Something filtered through Ezra's side of the Bond, something Vader hadn't suspected. Acceptance. Vader wouldn't have thought that his son would accept him so easily, especially since they were on the opposite side of the battlefield a few days previous. But it seems that Vader's insecurities were ill-thought. His son accepted him. His _son._

Vader realized that both of them wanted acceptance. His son wanted the second chance to have a father, the father he'd never had. Vader, on the other hand, wanted to right his wrongs. He knew it was his fault that he hadn't gotten the chance to connect with his son earlier, his fault that Padme was in hiding. Hiding from him. Vader wanted to reconnect with his family, the opinions of his master be damned. His son, his daughter, and his wife shall soon be by his side if it was the last thing he'd do. And he let his son know, through the bond.

Vader felt relief and pride, although tentative, flush through his son's system before silence fell over the bond like a heavy blanket. Vader was brought from his thoughts by the medical droid.

"The infection has reached the bone. The arm needs to be amputated if the patient is to survive." Those words brought pain to Vader's heart like no other. He hadn't wanted this. He hadn't wanted this at all.

"It can be replaced, right?" Vader asked.

"Of course. A mechanical replacement arm can be attached."

"How soon?"

"The arm has to be cut off immediately to prevent further spread of infection, though we must make sure that the patient doesn't lose too much blood." Vader immediately thought of a solution. He hated it. He hated it more than the thought of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"I may have a solution for that," he said. The droid turned to him. "A lightsaber wound automatically cauterizes. What if... what if I were to cut off his hand using my lightsaber?" Vader hated thinking about it, but it was the only way to safely save his son. There was always the chance, the _very_ big chance, that he would bleed out if they cut his hand by conventional ways. By a lightsaber, the wound would be much cleaner and he wouldn't lose any blood.

"That would be acceptable." the droid finally said. Vader stood up, letting go of his son's hand and walking over to the other side of the medical table. He slowly took his lightsaber from his belt, looking at his son with sorrow and regret. His first act as a father was cutting off his son's hand. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Vader ignited the blood red blade, bathing everything in it's light with a red glow. Vader sent one last thought towards his son, his voice filled regret, sorrow, and sadness.

 _'I am sorry, my son. Truly sorry.'_ Faint and sleepy confusion filled his son's side of the bond before Vader swung his lightsaber downwards in a deadly arc at his son's shoulder. A pain filled yell was heard out loud, but it was a different through the Force. Pain that Vader had felt only twice before filled his son's subconscious. The burning pain of a lost limb wasn't very pleasant. He should know. He'd lost four of them. Vader watched as the medical droid wrapped his son's shoulder in white gauze, the sickening thump of his son's severed arm hitting the floor echoing through his mind. Again, he stared in horror at the red blade that had felled so many other Jedi. There was only one cut that the blade had made that Vader deeply regretted and that cut was the reason his son now required a mechanical arm.

Now, Vader watched as the medical droid fitted his son for a new mechanical arm. They finally found a fit, one with silver, black, and gold components, much like his was after his bout with his predecessor, Count Dooku. For once, Vader was glad that his son was unconscious. The pain would still be there, but it wouldn't be as potent. He knew how it felt to have mechanical arm attached to your body where there should be an organic limb. He didn't envy the position his son was in, but if he could take away the pain his son was going though, he would do it without a second's hesitation.

In the meantime, Vader sent calming and healing waves through their bond, helping to sooth his son's pain and suffering. The boy, recognizing his father's presence, settled a little bit, trying to center himself to ease his pain. Sensing his son's discomfort, Vader put his son into a deeper sleep, wanting him to forget about the pain he was feeling. Seeing that his son was truly asleep, Vader relaxed as the droid fused the mechanical arm to his shoulder. There would need to be upgrades made, of course, but his son was strong. He would definitely survive.

Once the fusion was completed, Vader carried his son to a secluded bedroom in the West part of the complex. The complex was underground, the name known to few. The Imperium. The purpose of the complex was to hold prisoners, specifically prisoners who defied the Empire. The rebel scum of the galaxy that were strong enough to resist the mind probes and hadn't died to protect the Rebel Alliance upon capture. That being said, there were very few prisoners in the Imperium. Now that Vader thought about it, it was likely that the boy's adoptive parents were being kept here, the Bridgers. Hate bubbled in Vader's very soul when he thought of his son's kidnappers. They had agreed to take an innocent child from his rightful parents. Whether it had been him or Padme that raised him, one of his biological parents should have done the job. But Kenobi, Kenobi had broken apart his family. He had single-handedly turned his wife against him and separated his twin children from each other and from their parents. His intentions were anything but good. Kenobi was a hypocrite, preaching to him about becoming the very thing he had sworn to destroy. Vader didn't know where the old man ate his delusions.

Finally, Vader and his son reached the last corridor in the complex, holding only bedrooms and other living spaces. Vader's own temporary living space was across the hall from where he was about to put his son. Opening the door using the Force, Vader saw that the room looked like any other Imperial bedroom. Decked out in the oh so exciting colors of white, grey, and black, the Imperial bedroom was made for luxury. There was a king sized bed with a luxurious black throw carpet covering part of the stark white floor. There was a desk and a refresher and a table made for two. A holotable was next to the desk for transmissions.

Carefully setting his son on the bed's grey comforter, Vader assessed his condition. Luke's face was pale, making him look sickly in the bright lights of the room. He would need to eat as soon as he woke up. Luke groaned a bit from his position on the bed, his face contorting into a pain filled expression. Vader gently sent calming waves towards his son's mind, helping him struggle through the pain. When he was sure that his son's pain was alleviated, Vader rested a mechanical hand on his son's hair, still an uncommon blue. Resolving to change it back as soon as his son deemed it necessary, Vader walked out of the room, deciding to do a little more research on his son's life.

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 **Aaaaannnnndddd scene. I was so excited to write this chapter that I put so much detail into it. That's why it took me so long to post it. I know, a feeble excuse. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. If you have any questions or suggestions, please review or PM me.**

 **-Nightingale0708**


	7. not an update

**NOTICE!**

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Okay, I know that you might not want to see this, since this isn't an update, but I wanted to let you know that updates will be slower because when I type on my phone, the format gets all screwed up on desktop and on mobile. So, I will need to continue my updates from my computer, which isn't as portable as my phone. So I know that some of you may be mad. Trust me, I'm mad too. But I'm probably going to update faster because I am now on summer vacation. I'm also on a different softball team so practice is only once a week, but three hours long. (why...) Anyway, my weekends probably won't consist of a lot of updates because I have practices on Saturdays and at least three games per day on Sundays.

 ** _Fanfiction Information:_**

Identity Crisis: Don't worry. I will be updating this soon. The latest chapter is in the works. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to PM me or to leave a review. I'll try to type faster.

A Different Identity:This is going to be continued. The next chapter is being worked on and will be posted as soon as it's ready.

Justice League Alternative: I've kind of lost interest in this story but it will be continued. I have a couple more chapters planned out and I will try to update them as fast as possible.

 _ **Wanted:**_ I'm totally still interested in this story. There is no danger whatsoever about it being discontinued so stay tuned for a new chapter soon.

The Sea's Daughter: This was meant to be a one-shot, but if you guys want another chapter, I'm sure that I can find the inspiration to give you guys a couple more chapters.

 _ **-** **Nightingale0708**_


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